Water control thermostat construction



Nov. 2, 1937., M. H. WARD Y WATER CONTROL THERMOSTAT CONSTRUCTION Filed sept. 5, 1931 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATE WATER CONTROL THERMOSTAT CONSTRUCTION Marshall H. Ward, Faireld, Conn., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Bridgeport Thermostat Company, Inc.,V Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Delaware This invention relates to improvements in water control thermostat construction, and the principal object is the provision oi such a device which is composed of few parts and therefore simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, easy to assemble, ecient and effective in operation, capable of ready adjustment to meet varied operating conditions, and in which the valve is constructed so that when open it will present a minimum amount of obstruction to the full flow of liquid therethrough y I This invention is designed primarily for a water -control for internal combustion engines and the like. K

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, this invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and thengsought to be dened in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and which' shows, merely for the purpose of illustrative disclosure, a preferred embodiment of my invention, it being expressly understood, however,

that various changes may be made in practice within'the scope of the claims without digressing from my`inventive idea.

In the drawing- Figure l represents a front plan view of one embodiment of my device; Y

Figure 2 represents a longitudinal vertical cross section, taken substantially on line 2--72 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a transverse vertical cross section taken substantially on line 3--3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Y

Fi-gure 4 is a longitudinal vertical cross section showing the bellows in an expanded position and the flap valve in an open position.

Referring now to the drawing the numeral I designates a suitable frame or cage which is secured at one end to the radial flange 2 of the annular valve seat and valve holding member 3. One form of connection is by providing slots in the radial flange 2 and upsetting the ends or heads 5 of the reduced part 6 of the sides of the frame or cage after they have been passed through said slots. The member 3 is also provided With an axial annular flange l, the outer end of which'forms'the valve seat 8.

The valve S'is in the formof a two-part flap valve, the two parts it being hinged or pivotecl together along the center line on the pin or rod ll which is supported in the ears or lugs l2 out- 'f standing from the edge of the axial flange l.

This valve is opened and closed entirely or partially by the action ofV a thermostatic element, preferably in the form of a metallic bellows i3 which is sealed and lled with a volatile fluid so as to expand or contract in accordance with changes in the temperature of the liquid in Contact therewith. This thermostatic element i3 is formed with a base portion id which fits within and is secured to the end l5'of the frame or cage l. TheV other end of the thermostatic element is closed by means of the plate or head Vll which is formed with an internally threaded socket' il to receive the screw threaded plug or rod i8. An adjusting s leeve member i9 is oppositely internally threaded at its two ends to receive the end of the plug i8 in one end, and the externally threaded plug 2i) in the other' end, plug 20, of course, being threaded oppositely to plug l 8 and with the sleeve kl Sproviding a sort of turnbuckle adjusting means whereby the relation of the valve and the linkage assembly to the bellows may be changed, as desired. The plug 2li is provided with a flattened head member 2l to which a pair of curved lever members 22 are pivotally connected as at 23. These lever members extend axially away from the plug member 20, their outer ends 2d being positioned in alinement with the olf-set arms or members 25 which extend laterally or away from the two plate members lil forming the valve 9, on opposite sides of their meeting edges and near the center there-k ofl Each of these arms or members 25 is curved to form an eye or loop 2li to receive pin or pintle 2l by means of which the ends 2li of the levers 22 are pivotally connected thereto. Thus a positive connection is provided between the thermostatic element i3 and the two parts Vlli of the pands or contracts, due to changes in the temperature of the liquid within which itV is inY contact, the two plate members lil of the valve 9 will be raised or lowered on the central pivot I l of the valve as a whole. The position of the arms or members 25 or their form may be changed, if desired, to position the pivotsY 2lV valve 9 vso that as the thermostatic element exduit in accordance with the temperature thereof.V The device may be readily adjusted so asvto insure absolute accuracy in operation in accordance with temperature changes. The valve when fully opened interposes a minimum amount of obstruction to the iiow of the liquid therethrough. The valve when closed, or in fact in any position, is securely and positively held, due to the positive connections between the valve and the thermostatic element.

The entire valve assembly, including the valve seat and opening and valve proper, is assembled as a unit upon the valve seat and valve holding member and the opening through this member is large so asy to permit an adequate ilow of liquid therethrough.

What I claim is: v

1. A device of the character described, including in combination a frame or support, a valve. seat member mounted upon one end thereof, a valve memberrsupported upon said valve seat member, the valve proper being composed of two hinged parts, a thermostatic element mounted in said frame or support and operative connections betweenV said thermostat element and each part oi said valve.

2. In a device of the character described, including in combination, a frame or support having a thermostatic element mounted in one end, a valve assembly mounted upon the. other end of said support, said valve assembly including an annular member providing a valve seat and opening of substantial diameter, a valve proper composed of two parts hinged so as to move toward and away from said valve seat, and levers operatively connecting said two-part valve with said thermostatic element, and adjustable means interposed between said levers and said thermostatic element for varying, the relation of said levers to said thermostatic element and therefore the opening movement of said valve parts.

3. In a device of the character described, including in combination, a frame or support having a thermostatic element mounted in one end, a valve assembly mounted upon the other end of said support, said valve assembly including an annular member providing a valve seat and opening of substantial diameter, a valve proper composed or" two parts hinged so as to move toward and away fromsaid valve seat, and lever means operatively connecting saidV .two-part valve with said thermostatic element, one lever being provided for each valve part.

4. In `a device of the character described,'including in combination, a thermostatic element, a valve seat, a valve for said valve seat composed of two parts hinged so as to move outward from the valve seat to open position, the two parts of said Valve having operative connectionwith said thermostatic element.

5. In a device of the character described, including in combination, a thermostatic element, a valve seat, a valve for said valve seat composed of two parts hinged so as to move outward from the valve seat to open position, the two parts of said valve having operative connection with said thermostatic element, said operative connection including a member for each valve part pivotally connected to said valve part and'also connected to said thermostatic element.

6. In a device of the character described, including in combination, a thermostatc element, a valve seat, a valve for said valve seat composed of two` parts hinged so as to move outward from the valve seat to open position, the two parts of said valve having operative connectionwith said thermostatic element, said operative connection including means for adjusting the opening of said valve parts relative to predetermined two parts hinged together and a lever means forl each valve part pivotally connected to said thermostatic element whereby said valve parts are moved in accordance with the expansion and contraction of said thermostatic element.

8. In a vdevice or" the character described, including in combination, a frame, a thermostatic element mounted on said frame, a valve seat associated with said frame, a valve for said valve seat including hinged parts, and link means connecting said lnnged parts and said thermostatic element.

9. A thermostat construction adapted to control the flow of water in Va cooling system for internal combustion engines, which includes, in combination, a frame, a thermostatic element mounted on said frame and adapted to respond to conditions in the cooling system, a valve seat on said frame, a valve for said valve seat, said valve including a plurality of parts hinged on a common axis, a plurality of levers for connecting saidY valve parts and said thermcstatic element whereby said hinged valve parts are securely and positively held in closed position when said thermostatic element is contracted and said hinged valve parts are securely and positively held in open position when said thermostatic element is in expanded condition.

10. A device of the character described, adapted to control the flow of water in a cooling system for internal combustion engines including, in combination, a thermostatic element, a valve seat, a valve for said valve seat and including two valve parts hinged so as to be adapted to move away from said valve seat to open position, the parts of the valve having operative connection with said thermostatic element, said operative` connection including a member for each valve part pivotally connected to said valve partand also connected to said thermostatic element.

1l. In a thermostatic valve structure, a body member having an opening therein adapted for the flow of fluid therethrough in one direction,

,separate valve members pivotally connected to said body member Yand co-operable to close said opening, a bellows type thermostat, and means operatively connecting said valve members and said thermostat to open said valve members in the direction of ilow through said opening, the relative areas of said valve members and said thermostat subjected to pressure of the controlled fluid during operation thereof being such as to approximately balance each other.

12. In a thermostatic valve structure, a body member including an annular ring, a pin carried by said body member, a plurality of valve members pivoted on said pin and movable to close the central opening in said ring, and thermostatic means for moving said valve members.

13. In a thermostatic valve structure, a body member including an annular ring, a pin `carried by said body member diametrically thereof, "oppositely extending valve members pivoted on said pin and movable to engage an end edge of said ring to close said member to the flow of fluid therethrough, supporting means carried by said body member, a bellows type thermostat carried by said supporting means, and links connected to said thermostat and to said valve members for causing interrelated movement thereof.

14. A thermostatic valve structure adapted for insertion in a cooling water passage of an internal combustion engine to control the ow of water therethrough comprising, in combination, an apertured body member adapted to be sealed to the walls of said passage, separate valve members carried by said body member and pivotally connected thereto, said valve members combining to form a closure for the aperture in said body member, thermostatic means supported by said body member, and connecting means between said thermostatic means and said valve members whereby the position of said valve members is co-ntrolled by said thermostatic means. v

15. In a thermostatic valve structure, in combination, a body member having an opening therethrough for the ow of uid, valve members pivotally associated with said body member and combining to form a closure for said opening, a.

thermostat supported by said body member and means operatively connecting said valve members and said thermostat, said thermostat being arranged to move 'said valve members from closed toward open position in the direction of ow of fluid therethrough.

16. In a thermostatic valve structure, in com-V to form a closure for said opening, a. link connected to each of said valve members, and a thermostat connected to said links and arranged to move said valve members in opposite directions of rotation throughY substantially equally angular distances in the direction of flow of said uid through said opening when moving said valve members from closed to open position.

17. A device of the character described, including, in combination, an apertured body member, a bellows thermostat associated with said body member, a valve seat on said body member, a valve for said valve seat comprising a plurality of parts supported for. movement toward and `away from said valve seat, said valve parts having operative connection with said bellows thermostat.

MARSHALL H. WARD. 

